Ray of Hope
by Kate-DS
Summary: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. My take on a certain knight's childhood.
1. Chapter 1: The Boy

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and its characters belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

Note: This story is just my take on a certain knight's childhood before he comes to serve the Royal House of Renais. Please let me know what you guys think about it. Thanks.

Ray of Hope

Chapter 1: The Boy

Kingdom of Renais,

Year of the Stone 791,

A young boy was wondering one of the many streets in the capital city of the Kingdom of Renais by himself. His appearance suggested that he could not have been much older than ten or eleven years old. Casual observers noticed that the boy was obviously from a poor family as his tattered clothes were in desperate need of repair. Despite his clothing, the boy appeared to be clean. The most striking thing about the boy; however, was not his clothing but his face. He was, as many noticed, a very handsome boy. His soft brown eyes glinted in the sunlight, while the wind played gently with his short, dark crimson hair.

There was a bright smile plastered on the boy's angelic face, which effectively prompted many of the townspeople going about their business on the street to smile with him. Strangely, there was an unexpected air of nobility about the boy. He was not a noble, yet his posture was nothing but regal.

The boy trotted briskly along the street. He began to run faster as he neared a small slope leading to a large bazaar, which was now bustling with many sellers that had arrived early and had just finished setting up their booths. They were now competitively shouting and flaunting their goods at the crowd trying to catch their attention.

As he reached the bazaar, the boy paused briefly to catch his breath, his small chest heaving up and down. 'Today, the bazaar seemed to be unusually busy.' The boy wondered. He had been coming to the bazaar every now and again, but never before had he seen so many people. Usually, most of the sellers and shoppers in the bazaar were from Renais and the neighboring Grado Empire. However, today was definitely different. There seemed to be more people, people whom he had never seen before. 'Could they possibly be coming from Jehanna?'.

The boy stood transfixed, staring in awe. Their clothing was so genuinely unique, so colorful and exotic, so different from that of his own and the regular shoppers frequenting the place, that he could not help but stare. They were unlike anything the boy had ever witnessed in his young life.

The boy noticed a group of burly looking men walking hurriedly towards him. As the men walked by, the boy could detect a faint aroma, a mixture of some kind of flower and spice, perhaps? 'It smelled pretty good.' The boy sighed. 'Would it not be wonderful if one could travel freely to these exotic places, to abandon, even for just a short while, the painful reality?' The boy looked wistfully at the men, wishing that he could just get away and forget what he was……..a pitiful orphan.

"That is right. That is what I am." Once again, the boy's mind wondered back to that fateful day three years ago, the day that changed his life forever.

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Flash Back: Three years ago,

The boy remembered it well, how cold and gray that morning was. No sun was in sight, just the frigid wind blowing against his small red cheeks when he opened the windows of his room. By then, his father had been gone to war for just a little over three months.

The reason his father, an elite commander of the Renais Imperial Army, had to go to war was because His Majesty, King Fado, had personally requested it. Several weeks earlier, a civil war had erupted in the Grado Empire, Renais' neighboring kingdom. It all started with a dispute between Emperor Vigarde and one of the elite commanders who was also a member of the Grado High Council. The commander strongly disagreed with Emperor Vigarde over his governing principles. Emperor Vigarde had been a long time champion of peace and would never allow any kinds of violent act against his people. However, the elite commander disagreed. He had wanted the emperor to assert more authority on the people to make them obey their orders. He thought that the king was being too lenient on his subjects.

The commander also believed that more soldiers were needed in order to protect the empire. It was true that the Grado Empire's military was the strongest out of all the five kingdoms of Magvel. However, one could never be certain when one's own kingdom would be invaded. He wanted the emperor to draft more people into the army.

The emperor, being a gentle and compassionate person, would, under no circumstances, allow such a thing to take place. He simply did not wish to go against his people's will. Emperor Vigarde argued that this act was exactly what a tyrant would do. "You must not force people to become soldiers. If their hearts were not in it, then it would not be better than acquiring puppets that just lifelessly followed orders."

"What is wrong with that?" The commander was visibly furious and thought Emperor Vigarde a fool whose principles were unrealistic and impractical. "We must be prepared. Should there be an invasion, we must be ready!" The commander spoke angrily before storming out of the room. Later on, the commander gathered several other members of the High Council as well as the other elite commanders that shared his belief and formed a faction that openly opposed the emperor. The faction was so powerful that it became a threat not just to the emperor but the empire itself. Since the faction's military prowess was greater than that of the Imperial Army, that left Emperor Vigarde with no choice but to enlist the help of his good friend King Fado of Renais, which he readily agreed.

The boy shuddered as a strong breeze blew into his room. He still remembered the day his father left him and his mother to lead the troops to Emperor Vigarde's aid in order to defeat the resistant forces in Grado's capital city. It was hard to believe, but it had already been three months since then. He wished that his father would come back home already, now that his mother was sick. Of course, his mother did not tell him that she was sick. If anything, she was trying to hide it from him out of fear that he would be worried about her. He found it out by accident when he walked in on her one night and found her coughing out blood, spilling it onto her white cotton nightgown…

The boy was deep in thought, when a sudden loud knock on the door downstairs jolted him back to reality.

The boy rushed down the stairs to see who it was. Once he reached the landing, his mother was already at the door speaking to their visitor. The boy could not see who their visitor was, but he could make out the crest on the hilt of his sword, the only visible part of him. The crest was that of the Royal House of Renais, and that could only mean one thing. The visitor was a soldier from the Imperial Army! At that thought, the boy was elated. Had his father finally returned home? If so, then why did he not come into the house, and why was his mother clutching her chest like that?

Before the boy had any chance to ask all these questions, his mother suddenly collapsed onto the floor. The boy was horrified and immediately rushed to his mother's side. He picked her head up and examined it. His mother was breathing but her face was drained of any signs of blood. The soldier calmly patted the boy's head as if what had just transpired right in front of him was an everyday occurrence.

The soldier proceeded to lift his mother off the floor and carried her into the next room. He gently placed her on the bed before turning around to speak solemnly to the boy. "Take good care of your mother, boy. You must be the man of the family now that your father is no longer here." He patted the boy's head once more. "Your father was a brave man. He died on the battlefield just like a knight should, with honor. He fulfilled his duty as a knight until the very end." The soldier then got up and headed for the door.

The boy was numb. He was, of course, old enough to know what the soldier meant. He knew what death was. He often heard his father spoke of it with his fellow knights during one of their visits. He knew that his father would not be coming home, that he would never come home. The boy continued to sit next to his mother's bed. He stared at her peaceful sleeping face wishing that his tears would stop…

End Flashback

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The boy sighed yet again. His mother never quite recovered from the news of his father's death. If anything, the news had worsened her condition. His mother continued to struggle with the disease for a few more months before finally succumbing to it. She passed away when he was barely eight years old. After that, he was sent to live with his mother's relatives.

Staying with his mother's relatives was the worst part of the boy's childhood. His great uncle and aunt were quite rich, yet they were still jealous of his mother even when she was still alive because she had married into one of the greatest noble families of Renais. Overtime, their jealousy had turned into hatred, and somehow they had transferred that hatred to her son. The boy was miserable. They had turned him into their personal slave, working him all day and night.

One day the boy could not take it any longer and decided to run away from that wretched place. He wondered the streets aimlessly until he collapsed in front of a very old church, hungry and cold. Luckily, an old priest found him and gave him food, shelter, and a place to stay. The boy was grateful to the priest, so he gladly became the priest's errand boy in order to help around the church. Since the church was very old, they did not have that many parishioners. They barely had enough money from the donation to get by. The boy could imagine the trouble the priest had to go through in order to feed and cloth him. As soon as he turned ten, he had asked the priest if he could go look for jobs at the bazaar.

Every now and then, he would come to the bazaar and ask if anyone would need help with anything, be it carrying parcels, shining armors, or sharpening swords, the boy never complained or hesitated to take on any jobs. He would do his job diligently.

Seeing this many people today made the boy happy. He should be able to make a lot of money today. He was hoping to buy more candles for the priest so he could do his study at night.

The boy quickly scanned the bazaar looking for potential customers when he chanced to spot a group of four boys standing in front of one of the booths that seemed to be selling various kinds of candies.

The leader of the group, a big thirteen-year-old boy with missing front teeth, turned around as if he could feel someone staring at him. He saw the boy and nudged the rest of his friends to look at him. They seemed to be whispering something about the boy, for all four boys burst out laughing at the same time after they took one look at him.

The boy paid them no attention, which in turn, infuriated the leader of that group. He stalked slowly towards the boy.

However, before he had a chance to reach the boy, someone shouted something, which caught both of the boys' attention.

"Make way, make way, Their Royal Highnesses, King Fado and Princess Eirika have arrived. Make way, make way." Someone was shouting as the royal carriage sped by.

The two boys exchanged a look at one another and the taller boy backed away. The people in the bazaar stopped and dropped everything that they were doing and made a wide path for their beloved king and the little princess.

"Consider yourself lucky. Next time, I will get you for sure!" The taller boy spoke angrily. The boy ignored the comment once again and disappeared into the crowd.

TBC

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	2. Chapter 2: The Girl

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and its characters belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

Note: Thanks for the reviews. Per your suggestion, I've split this story into 3 chapters. Hopefully, it's easier to read now.

Ray of Hope

Chapter 2: The Girl

Several hours later,

The boy reached into his pocket with his right hand, felt several coins lying in it, and smiled. He could finally get the priest his candles. The boy looked around for the candle seller. He found one, but before he reached the booth, he happened to spot a little girl standing in the middle of the street crying. The boy thought he should ignore her. After all, it was not his problem.

However, the boy felt something as he was about to turn around and leave the girl there. What he felt could not be described in words. It was as though he was being pulled by that little girl. Before he realized what was happening, he was already standing in front of her, his hand reaching out to touch her braided turquoise colored hair. The girl, with her hands still covering her face, suddenly jerked her head back. The boy took one step back thinking he had frightened her. Tears were now flowing freely from the little girl's face. The boy noticed, despite all the tears, the little girl was quite pretty. Her large aqua-green eyes were sparkling and her little nose and cheeks were red from crying. The little girl was quite shy. She looked briefly at the boy before she covered up her tear-stained face once more.

At that moment, the boy felt an inexplicable yet strong urge to protect her. He thought it was strange but did not dwell on the thought for long. He then proceeded to grab her hands and pry them open gently. The girl did not resist. Her gaze met that of the boy, tears still flowing.

"What is the matter? Are you lost?" The boy asked gently, still holding the girl's hands.

The girl did not reply but silently nodded her head, a series of hiccups escaping her small lips.

The boy studied the girl closely. She could not be more than five or six years of age. Judging from her clothing, she had to be a noble, some aristocrat's daughter. Her fine silk dress with lace and blue ribbons definitely did not belong to a mere commoner or a working class such as himself. Certainly, the dress must have cost a fortune, the amount such that he had never seen before. The boy also noticed that the little girl was wearing an unusual necklace with a tiny cerulean locket hanging from it. The boy was fascinated. He had never seen such fine piece of jewelry before. Granted that the ones in his mother's possession were, in their own right, beautiful, they did not exude a mysterious aura like the one the girl was wearing. Both the necklace and the locket were sparkling brilliantly and mysteriously under the sunlight.

The boy was troubled. He sighed deeply and began to think of the next step he should take. Had the girl been a mere commoner, he could have just taken her to the town square and asked if anybody knew her parents. However, since she was clearly a noble, this could prove quite troublesome. He had to be very careful. There were always those who would take advantage of the situation, people who would take this chance to kidnap her for a ridiculously large amount of ransom. Also, there were those who would try to sell her to the slave market as soon as they got the chance. That was not unheard of, as he himself had witnessed many poor families who, as a last resort, sold their children to pay off their debts. So, that left him with only one choice, to go look for her parents himself. The boy sighed again.

He gently grabbed the girl's hand and both headed off towards the center of the bazaar. The girl followed along quietly tears streaking down her face.

"Do not cry anymore. I will find your parents." The boy spoke solemnly placing his other hand on her head. "Do not worry. While you are with me, I will protect you from all harms. That is a promise." This prompted the girl to look up into his face. Then the most incredible thing happened. The little girl smiled for the first time! Not only that, she also gave his hand a light squeeze as if she was acknowledging his oath.

The boy blushed slightly, turning his face away. "All right, let us begin our search from that fountain."

The huge stone fountain would be a perfect place to start because it overlooked the entire bazaar. Maybe if he just climbed that thing and tried to look for her parents from up there…

The boy kneeled down in front of the little girl who was staring back at him. He wanted to ask her about her parents. "What do your parents look like?" The girl did not reply but continued to stare at him as if confused. The boy paused briefly before he continued. "Do your parents look like you, with the same hair color, I mean?" Since the girl's hair color was so unique. Maybe it would be easy to spot her parents.

The little girl still did not reply, but instead gave the boy's hand another squeeze. The boy smiled. "It is all right if you cannot tell me. I will try to look for them nonetheless."

When they reached the stone fountain, the boy let go of the little girl's hand. As he was getting ready to climb it, he felt a tug at his shirt. When he looked back, he found the little girl shaking her head, on the verge of tears once again.

"What is wrong?" The boy asked worriedly, but the girl did not reply. Instead, she kept shaking her head and tugging at his shirt.

The boy smiled reassuringly to the little girl. He placed both hands on her small shoulders. "If I do not get up there, I will not be able to help you look for your parents, and you will not be able to go home. Do you understand that?" There was no reply from the little girl. She continued to shake her head.

The boy sighed then chuckled. "All right, all right, I will not climb the fountain anymore. I suppose it will not make that big of a difference whether or not I am up there." 'After all, with this many people, the attempt might prove futile.' The boy thought grimly. Since the king and the princess were here, no wonder there were so many people today.

The boy picked up the little girl and placed her gently on a bench next to the fountain. He then sat down next to her. "I suppose we can wait for your parents here. This is the center of the bazaar. They are certain to pass by here." The girl quietly nodded her head. She must have been tired for she immediately fell fast asleep. The boy put his arms around her and adjusted his position so that the little girl could lean comfortably on him.

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One hour later,

The little girl slowly opened her eyes. At first, she had a hard time figuring out just where she was, but the reassuring presence of the boy next to her reminded her that wherever she was, she was safe. The boy gave her a warm smile.

"Did you have a good sleep? I am sorry but I still have not found your parents". The boy spoke sadly. The little girl placed her hand on the boy's cheek as if she wanted to tell him that everything would be all right. The boy had to smile at that. 'I should be comforting her not the other way around.' The boy thought amusingly.

Then again, his attention was caught by the necklace that the little girl was wearing. Now that the sun was almost right above their heads, the cerulean locket gleamed brightly, its color almost turning green. "That is a beautiful necklace. Did your mother give it to you?" Again, the girl did not reply. "Are you afraid of me? Is that why you will not talk to me?" Instead of a reply the girl gave him a big hug. The boy was caught off guard, but did not push her away. He blushed profusely. When was the last time someone had given him a hug? For some reason, the hug reminded him of his mother.

The boy tried again, remembering that he had not yet asked her for her name. "What is your name? Mine is..." Before the boy had the chance to finish his sentence, the same group of boys he saw earlier that morning appeared and stood right in front of him and the little girl.

"Well, well, look who we have here. The little red-haired boy has found himself a little green-haired girl to play with." The leader of the group spoke nastily while his lackeys laughed like a pack of hyenas. The glints in the taller boy's eyes spelled trouble. The boy put his arms protectively around the little girl.

"What's this? Trying to play a hero in front of a damsel? What are you going to do huh? You fool!" He gestured his hands dramatically. "Hey boys, I guess I play the part of a big bad wolf, ha ha ha ha ha." The other boys joined in. "Woof Woof, ha ha ha."

The boy once again ignored the childish taunting. He got up and lifted the little girl off the bench. The two of them were about to walk away, when the light reflecting from the girl's necklace caught the taller boy's attention.

"Just where do you fools think you are going? I'm not done with you yet." The taller boy angrily grabbed the little girl's shoulder. "Let me see that." The taller boy violently yanked the necklace off her neck. The little girl screamed.

"What are you doing? Give it back." The boy was visibly furious. Nonchalant, the taller boy was holding the necklace in the air inspecting it. He sneered. "No way. It is mine now. What are you going to do about-." Before he had a chance to finish, the smaller boy jumped on him and started punching him repeatedly in the face. "I said give it back!"

Seeing that their leader was down, the other boys jumped in to save him. Two boys grabbed the red-haired boy by the arms, while the other one tried to grab his legs. Surprisingly, the boy was much stronger that they had initially thought. He was struggling with all his might. The little girl looked on in horror.

The leader of the group got up from the ground, spat out blood, and looked maddeningly at the red-haired boy. He stalked furiously towards him. Just when he was about to hit the boy's face, he noticed that a couple gold coins had fallen out from the boy's pocket. The leader quickly shouted out. "Grab the coins and empty out his pockets. There should be more in there." The other boys obediently followed his command.

"Stop it. Don't take them!" Desperately, the boy struggled to get away. "They are for the priest. Stop!" The other boys held on tightly. They emptied out his pockets and took everything that was in them. "NOOOO, STOP!" The boy could do nothing besides crying out in anguish." The little girl screamed at the top of her lungs. The leader turned around meaning to strike her. "Shut the hell up".

"NO, DON'T YOU DARE HIT HER!"

Just when the taller boy was about to land a blow on the little girl, the sound of hoof beats and trumpets could clearly be heard coming towards them. The boys were startled. Again, wide path were made, and two imperial soldiers on white horses came into view. Trailing behind them, were a kind-looking man and a middle-aged women on an open carriage.

"Halt. There, there now, easy, boy." One of the imperial guards spoke while patting his horse. He turned around to look at his fellow guard and the man behind him before loudly spoke. "Citizens of Renais. His majesty, King Fado, would like to ask for your cooperation in the search of Her Highness, Princess Eirika." This caught everyone's attention, for they seemed to have stopped whatever they were doing at the moment.

The guard continued. "The princess has gone missing since this morning. The princess had wondered off unknowingly while her royal retainer, Lady Victoria, was not looking. The lady has been searching high and low for the princess, ever since she learned that Her Highness had gone missing. As of now, we still do not have the whereabouts of the princess. And as you can see, Lady Victoria is quite upset." The guard made a hand gesture towards a pale middle-aged woman sitting next to the king with a handkerchief partially covering her face.

"FATHER." Unexpectedly, the little girl shouted. All eyes turned towards her. She ran up to the carriage and shouted again. "FATHER."

The expression on the king's face was that of pure joy at the sight of the little girl. He immediately got out of the carriage and ran towards her. Lady Victoria sat, stunned.

The king joyously picked up the little girl and gave her a big hug. "Oh, Eirika, where have you been? Did you know that your father and Lady Victoria were worried sick about you? King Fado gave the princess another long hug. The little princess smiled at her father. "Eirika, did you remember what Lady Victoria taught you? Did you talk to a stranger?" The princess quickly shook her head. "Good girl. Were you scared?" Again, the princess shook her head. "Was there someone with you? Is that why you were not scared?" Eirika nodded and shyly replied. "A boy saved me." The king patted his daughter's head lovingly before finally putting her down. "Now go give Lady Victoria your apology. She was very worried about you, you know."

Eirika gave her father a big smile. Then, she quickly ran up to Lady Victoria who was still sitting in the carriage. "Milady, please forgive me." Eirika politely bowed her head. She was every bit an image of a young and proper princess. Surprisingly, she acted well beyond her years. This action prompted Lady Victoria to smile. She bent down to pick up the little princess and whispered in her ear. "Oh, Eirika, please do not ever scare me like this again." She gave Eirika a big hug.

The king interrupted their reunion by ordering one of the guards to take both of them back to the castle. "Yes sir, I will make certain that the lady and Her Highness arrive safely."

The king turned to speak with his daughter. "I will see you at home Eirika. Do not be cross with me. 'Tis for your own safety." The princess did not object. After all, it had been a long day for her. Eirika took one last look at the red-haired boy who was still being held captive by the other boys. She turned to her father as if pleading with him to help him. However, before she had a chance to say anything, her father shut the door and ordered the guard to leave. The carriage rolled away and tears started to well up in her eyes once again…

After the princess and her royal retainer had left, the king announced to the crowd. "Now, who was the kind person that was responsible for taking good care of my daughter during her ordeal? Now, come forth, for I have a reward for you."

As soon as the king had finished his sentence, a young boy stepped out of the crowd. It was the tall boy with the missing front teeth!

"Your Majesty, I was the one who had saved the princess from this wretched boy. You see, he was trying to steal the princess' necklace. Here is the proof." The tall boy held out the necklace for all to see. The red-haired boy looked on in disbelief. 'That is a lie! A blatant lie!'

King Fado turned his puzzled gaze on the tall boy whose face was covered all over in blood. The tall boy promptly replied. "T-That boy had repeatedly punched me, Your Majesty, when I tried to take the necklace back from him. Luckily my friends arrived just in time to subdue him, and I was finally able to take the necklace back." The tall boy spoke while pointing to his friends who were still holding the red-haired boy. He handed the necklace back to the king.

The king took the necklace from the tall boy, inspected it, and then put it safely away. "Indeed, this is my daughter's necklace, the one given to her by the late queen. Young man, were you really the one that saved my daughter from this thief?"

Not waiting for an answer, the king walked towards the red-haired boy. The other boys suddenly let their captive go and stepped back in fear. The boy collapsed to the ground.

The king looked at the silent boy in front of him in the eyes. The boy had not objected to the accusations made against him, yet he did not admit that he was the culprit either.

The boy did not avert his eyes. Instead, he looked straight back at the king, not blinking even once. At that moment, the king saw something in the young boy's eyes. He turned around to speak to the tall boy. "Young man, I ask you again. Honestly, were you the one that rescued my daughter?"

"Of course he was, Your Majesty." Came a shrill voice from the crowd.

"My son would never stoop as low as that wretched creature and try to steal. I mean that would be pointless, since my husband is a wealthy merchant known throughout Renais. We have no need for the princess' necklace. That boy; on the other hand, seems to be in dire need of money." A large woman stepped out from the crowd and grabbed the red-haired boy's arm. She twisted it cruelly, and the boy yelped in pain. "I suggest we punish him, Your Majesty, lest he might try to do it again."

The crowed murmured and shouted in agreement with the fat women. "Yes, Your Majesty, punish him. Punish him!"

The king raised his hand up in the air, silencing the crowd. "Please calm down. I understand the need for punishment, but before I do anything, I need to hear what the boy has to say."

The king looked kindly at the boy. "Young man, tell me. Did you or did you not try to steal this necklace from my daughter, Eirika?"

The boy looked around and met with hostile glares from the crowd. They had already judged him to be a thief. That meant that he would not be able to come and work in the bazaar anymore. Who would want to hire a thief?

The boy looked solemnly at the king. "No, Your Highness, I did not try to steal the necklace from the princess. My father and mother would never forgive me if I had."

The king was quite taken aback at the earnestness in the boy's voice. So affected was he, that he was certain that the boy could not have been the thief, which could only mean one thing. The other boy and his mother were lying.

"Are your parents here at the bazaar with you? I should like to talk to them." Asked the king.

The expression on the boy's face changed drastically when he replied. "They are no longer living in this world, Your Majesty."

The king was stunned once again. 'How could this boy, an orphan, grow up to be so honest, so pure-hearted?'.

"All right, I have heard what the boy had to say. I will come up with a punishment for the culprit. Meanwhile, please try to forget about this incident and go back to enjoying your day."

The crowd around the fountain dispersed; however, they were not entirely satisfied with the outcome, since the king did not clearly say who the real culprit was.

"Your Majesty, please, my son was hurt by that evil boy, please punish him accordingly."

'No use.' The boy thought, they would never believe anything that he had to say. There was no point in staying here any longer. At that moment, the boy wanted more than anything to just go home and forget about all this. The boy was, of course, very disappointed that he was not able to get the priest his candles. 'If I asked for my money back, I would just end up being accused of trying to steal that too.' The boy was so tired, tired of everything. He did not want to think about anything anymore.

Then, the boy saw a good chance to escape when the king's guard chanced to look the other way, and the king was busy talking to the mother of that tall boy. 'Now is my chance.'

The boy made a mad dash towards the other side of the stone fountain. Before long, he disappeared into the crowd. The last thing he remembered hearing was a piercing scream coming from that fat woman…

TBC

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	3. Chapter 3: Together

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and its characters belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

Ray of Hope

Chapter 3: Together

St. Tania Church,

The boy ran like he had never run before. Not once did he turn around to look back to see if anyone had followed him. It began to rain, but that did not slow him down. It was so strange how it was bright and sunny one minute and raining the next. The rain was getting heavier by the minute. The boy ran non-stop until he reached the church, the place he had been calling home these past three years. He was panting heavily trying to catch his breath. His small lungs were burning and he was feeling dizzy from running.

The boy was ashamed at what he had done, ashamed for having run away as if he really was a thief, but the boy knew that they would never listen to him anyway. 'Whose words would have more weight, his or those of the only son of a rich merchant?' Certainly, the merchant's son would not want to steal some small jewelry since he was already 'rich.' The boy; on the other hand, had all the reasons to want to steal it.

The boy had no other choice but to run, since the longer he stayed there, the more charges they would try to press on him. The boy sighed. The day did not go exactly the way he had planned it at all.

The boy walked straight into what he knew would be an empty church. He made sure to close the doors quietly behind him should the priest be inside praying as was his daily routine. However, as soon as the doors were shut, the entire room descended into darkness. There was no sign of the priest. The boy was puzzled. Usually, at this time of day, be it rain or snow, the priest would never miss his daily praying. And because the priest never missed a single day of praying during the three years that the boy had come to live with him, his admiration and respect for the priest has multiplied tenfold.

'Maybe he was not feeling well.' Thought the boy, as he headed towards their living quarters to check on the priest.

However, what the boy found inside their room was the old priest, lying on the floor, various bloodstains visible on his brown robe. The boy had a sudden flashback to the night that he had discovered about his mother's illness. That night, there were bloodstains on her white cotton nightgown…

Immediately, the boy rushed to the priest's side. The boy quickly checked for a pulse. At first, he could hear nothing and that made him panic. 'No, it just could not be.' The boy went rigid but only briefly at the sight of the priest's pale face. He then tried again to find a pulse. He placed two of his small fingers on one of the priest' wrists and waited. He could not feel anything. He then moved on to the priest's neck. Again, the boy placed his fingers on the priest's neck and waited. This time, the boy could feel a pulse, however faint it was. "Thank God."

The boy gently lifted the old priest up into a sitting position with one hand still supporting his back. "Father, Father Marlo, can you hear me?" The priest did not reply but in response, he opened up his eyelids just a tiny bit, enough to see who the speaker was.

Seeing that it was his favorite errand boy, the priest smiled weakly. He moved his mouth trying to speak but no audible sound would come. Instead, a low wheeze escaped his lips.

"Father, what happened? Are you all right?" The boy looked as if he was about to cry. The priest reached his hand out to touch the boy's face, but he was too weak. The boy grabbed the priest's hand and placed it on his face himself. A single tear dropped onto the priest's hand.

"Father Marlo. Why did you not tell me you were this sick? All this time when you locked yourself up in your room claiming to be studying, were you just in there trying to endure the pain all by yourself?" A single sob escaped from the boy. The priest could not reply, so he smiled kindly in return.

The priest patted the boy's face lovingly. With his free hand, he pointed up towards the ceiling, and the boy's gaze followed. Weakly, the priest managed to utter a single word. "Believe…".

Before the priest could finish his sentence, a violent seizure took over his body. It went on like that for a while before he finally went still, his hand still in the boy's grasp, no longer moving.

The boy was too stunned to react. His mind went completely blank as if his brain had shut itself off from everything around him. He started to shiver uncontrollably although he was not cold, as the priest's body in his arm was still warm. 

The boy sat silently listening to the rain outside for what seemed like an eternity, before he finally lost it. He began to cry hysterically, his small frame shaken to the core. First, it was his father and mother, and now the only person he had left in the world, too, was gone forever. 'Why? Why must everything I loved be taken away from me like this? Why?' The boy pounded his fists repeatedly on the floor.

The boy wiped the tears with the sleeves of his shirt. He took one more look at the priest. "Father, I want to believe. I do, I truly do." At that moment, the boy realized just how lonely he was. He had no one. Tears began to well up in the boy's eyes once again.

Both his father and the priest had always taught him to be strong, to always protect those who are weaker, but at that moment, the boy felt so weak for not being able to do anything. He just wish he had someone, anyone, who would tell him that everything would be all right, that he would be 'protected', that he would not have to see his loved ones die in his arms again. The boy continued to cry silently until he was exhausted and fell into a deep slumber.

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Several hours later,

The boy remembered being stroked like this by his mother. Her hand was so gentle and warm. She would stroke his hair until he fell asleep, then she would kiss his forehead softly. He remembered how good it felt, just like what he was feeling right now…?

The boy woke up with a start. Sitting right next to him with her arms around the boy, was the very same little girl he had met earlier in the bazaar, Princess Eirika. But, what was she doing here? The boy blushed profusely at the realization that she was the one that was stroking his hair and kissing his forehead just now. 'It was not a dream, was it?' He could still feel her warmth on the place where she'd placed a kiss on his forehead.

The princess gave the boy a warm smile, and his heart beat just a little bit faster. The princess still had her arms around the boy, not meaning to let go any time soon. The boy returned her smile and decided to put his arms around her as well. The two remained embraced like that for a while before the boy finally spoke. "Princess Eirika, what are you doing here? His Majesty will be worried again." Before the princess had a chance to reply another figure appeared inside the room. It was the princess' father, King Fado of Renais, himself.

The boy was stunned. He did not know why the King would be here of all places. Did he come to take him to jail for trying to steal the princess' necklace? Did he come here to punish him personally? The boy was scared and his body was shaking slightly until a small hand touched his cheek. "Don't worry. I'm here." The princess gave him a reassuring smile.

The king walked closer towards the boy. He looked at the boy kindly and spoke. "Do not be troubled, young man. I am not here to punish you or take you to jail." The king smiled briefly, then his expression changed to that of sadness. He gestured towards the spot where the priest' s lifeless body had been lying. "Father Marlo. I did not even have a chance to talk to him." The king then turned towards the boy. "I have asked my men to see to Father Marlo's body. I will give him a proper burial. He deserved that much." The boy quietly nodded his head in acknowledgement, all the while confused as to what was happening.

"Now young man, I need to speak with you. The king picked his daughter up, sat down next to the boy, and put the princess in his lap.

"I asked the people in the bazaar about you, and they had told me that you live here with an old priest, Father Marlo. I suppose you were not aware that the priest was very sick. From what I could tell, it was an illness brought about by old age." The boy was silent.

"Do you have any other relatives that you should like to live with?" The boy shook his head still not saying anything.

The king proceeded to put his hand on the boy's head. He could see tears forming up in the boy's eyes and realized just how lonely he must have felt at that moment. "Will you come with me and my daughter, young man?" The king looked at his daughter. "I know that she would be so happy to have you at the castle." The princess smiled brightly at her father. "And Brother, too." The king laughed. "Yes, and Ephraim, too."

The boy could not believe his ears. Not only did the king not want to punish him, he was now offering him a place to stay. However, the boy felt that he did not deserve this from the king. After all, he had never done anything to warrant such kindness. "But Your Majesty, I have not done anything to deserve this."

"You are wrong, my boy. My daughter, Eirika, has told me everything that had transpired at the bazaar. It was not your fault, but mine alone. Had I been with her and not left her with Lady Victoria who was busily attending to my business, Eirika would not have gotten lost in the first place. I must apologize to you for all the troubles my daughter might have caused. And thank you for saving her from that bully."

The boy blushed again after hearing the king's words. "I had been taught to protect those who are weaker. It was my duty."

The king took one long look at the boy. And as if he suddenly remembered something, the king abruptly asked the boy. "Young man, who was your father?"

The boy looked puzzled but managed to reply. "My father, Your Majesty, was an elite commander of the Renais Imperial Army. His name was Roxis. Roxis Von Salen."

Now, it was King Fado's turn to be stunned. "Young man, you are Sir Roxis' son?"

"Yes, Your majesty." Came a meek reply from the boy.

The king focused his gaze intensely on the boy. "Sir Roxis was a great man whom I trusted with my life, which he had saved countless times. Your father often mentioned that he and his wife, Leonora, had a boy. A boy that he believed with all his heart, would grow up to be brave and strong, a protector of the weak, a man who would uphold his duty and honor with pride. Whenever your father spoke of you, he was so proud. I had been wanting to see you ever since. When he passed away, it was a great loss to our kingdom. I sent my men to search for you and your mother after the war was over, but to no avail. My men returned empty-handed with a sad news that your mother had passed away, and that you, had been taken away by your relatives." The king was overjoyed to have found his most loyal knight's only son.

"This must be fate. Young man, if you do not object, come to Renais Castle with me. There, you will be educated and trained as a knight, for that is your father's wish, for you to follow in his footsteps."

The boy was speechless. The dream he had once thought was lost to him forever, had been renewed. He wanted and longed so much to be like his father, a brave and loyal knight, a protector of the weak and justice. The tears quickly disappeared from the boy's face.

"What do you say, my boy? Will you not train to become a knight, to become my daughter's royal retainer? My daughter would like that, wouldn't you, Eirika? Now that Lady Victoria is retiring." King Fado smiled at his daughter. The princess did not answer but, instead, leapt off her father's lap and gave the boy a big hug.

The boy blushed but did not push her away. "I-I shall like that very much, Your Majesty." The boy had turned bright red, and the king laughed heartily.

"T-Thank you." The boy told the king shyly.

"Oh no, do not thank me. Thank my daughter, for after she had learned that I almost punished the wrong boy, she was so furious with me that she made me come all the way here to find you and apologize properly. Right, Eirika?" The princess quickly nodded her head.

The boy turned around to look earnestly at the young princess, the girl, who one day, would become his very life itself. "Princess, from this moment forth, I shall become your shield and your sword. No harm shall come to you, for I will be your protector, now and forever."

"Promise?" Asked the princess.

"Promise." The boy returned the hug, and the princess smiled.

The boy never thought that he would ever find it again, yet here she was, smiling in front of him, his ray of hope.

The End.


End file.
